Chapter 2


Making the Shift: Schools Meet Society's Jobs


I believe there have been two disruptions over the last few years--one is the report A Nation at Risk, 1983 and one is the legislative act No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 2002, that have had major impacts on education in America.

(If you do not know about the report A Nation at Risk, please click on the link in the above paragraph.)

1. Do you believe either of these two disruptions have improved education in America? No Child Left Behind Act has both positve and negative results; the negative is that it has created a paperwork trail that is difficult for educators to maintain a current status. The positive aspect is that children who may have earlier "fallen through the cracks" are being identified and given the necessary intervention needed for them to be successful.
2. What other disruptions have you seen in education in the last 10 years? The paper work that is required of educators in the last decade has tripled, but no immediate, positive outcome is evident. We also believe that the tier of administrative positions has become very "top-heavy"; as our classroom sizes have increased. Our thoughts are that the education profession used to be more respected in the community. Now, due to "homelife" invading the classroom environment; it is very difficult to reach the academic needs of the students.
What disruptions do you believe have had the most positive influence on schools today? With a combination of all the positive aspects of each of the following jobs; education could benefit greatly.

Job 1 - Preserve the Democracy and Inculcate Democratic Values
Job 2 - Provide Something for Every Student
Job 3 - Keep America Competitive
Job 4 - Eliminate Poverty